The introduction of padded practice gave the defense a leg up in the competition. After spending all of the offseason program workouts in shorts, the linebackers and defensive line finally received an opportunity to work to the front seven’s strengths. Saturday’s results served as a strong indication that padded practices helped the defense perform at a high level.

Quarterback Carson Wentz had his worst practice of camp thus far. He threw an interception and badly overthrew wide receivers at times. That said, the defensive line produced routine pressure on Wentz, forcing him to get the ball out quickly or adjust to the traffic in the pocket.

Defensive tackles Hassan Ridgeway and Treyvon Hester were able to get into the backfield multiple times. Defensive end Vinny Curry had back-to-back stops in 11-on-11 drills. All three players could play roles within the team’s defensive line rotation this season.

Linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill picked off Wentz during 7-on-7 drills. The linebacker jumped in front of a pass to wide receiver Alshon Jeffery and then took the ball up the field. Wentz made an “effort” to stop Grugier-Hill with a half-hearted corralling. Grugier-Hill has been the lone constant at the linebacker position throughout the offseason and seems poised for a major role moving forward.

For the second consecutive practice, cornerback Sidney Jones provided the play of the day for the defense. During 11-on-11 drills, wide receiver Mack Hollins ran a few steps ahead of Jones on a go-route. Seeing a wide-open Hollins, backup quarterback Nate Sudfeld targeted the former fourth-round pick down the field. While Jones looked to be trailing Hollins by a large margin, the cornerback quickly closed the gap.

Jones dove to break up the pass but actually ended up with an impressive interception. The ball was a bit under-thrown by Sudfeld but Jones made an impressive play on the ball.

While Avonte Maddox and Rasul Douglas served as the starting cornerbacks in the base formation, Maddox moved inside to nickel cornerback when faced with 11 personnel from the offense. Jones played outside in nickel after being used as the slot cornerback during the first two practices.

The competition between Jones and Douglas could be fascinating moving forward. Both have played very well during the first week of camp.

3. Physical practice leads to notable hits

Linebacker Alex Singleton stood out in practice. The former CFL star made a few big hits during the first padded practice, taking advantage of the physical nature of the session. His most notable hit came on a swing pass from Sudfeld to running back Boston Scott during 7-on-7 drills. As Scott turned the corner out of the flat, he was met by Singleton, who launched himself into the running back. Scott was decleated and had to leave the field immediately after the play.

The coaching staff then spoke to Singleton after the play, seemingly asking him to tone down his physicality. This was a “thud" practice so tackling wasn’t encouraged. That said, Scott was fine after the play and returned to drills fairly shortly afterward.

The other standout hit from the morning was Curry’s stop on rookie running back Miles Sanders. After receiving a handoff, Sanders went straight up the middle and was met instantly by Curry. The veteran defensive end slammed Sanders to the ground with a thud. Sanders got up unharmed and Curry celebrated with a dance.

Wide receiver Greg Ward Jr. has quietly put together a strong string of practices. He has been targeted quite regularly during the first week of training camp. The entire wide receiver group is available, so it’s notable that he has been making regular plays.

Cornerback Josh Hawkins has basically served as the second-team Avonte Maddox. He has played outside in base and in the slot in nickel coverage. He had a strong offseason program and that has carried over to camp. With Cre’Von LeBlanc (lower leg) and Jalen Mills (foot, PUP list) sidelined, Hawkins has taken advantage of his reps.

Defensive end Daeshon Hall also had a nice day as a run stopper. While he’s a bit lanky, Hall can play the run well because of his length. He also had a few moments where he forced pressure.

5. Josh Adams: The Receiver?

The Eagles are doing all they can to feature running back Josh Adams as a receiver out of the backfield. The second-year running back was rarely targeted last season, so the notion has been a bit of a surprise.

Last season, when Adams was in the game, it became obvious that the play call was a run because of the rookie’s lack of pass-catching prowess. Perhaps the Eagles are trying to mitigate that issue this offseason in hopes of keeping Adams involved on the 53-man roster.

- The Eagles added cornerback Alex Brown off waivers from the San Francisco 49ers on Friday. In his debut practice, the undrafted rookie wore the No. 33. He had a highlight moment during 2-on-2 drills, as he stripped the ball out of tight end Will Tye’s hands after he made a catch.

- A humorous note: During 11-on-11 drills, defensive end Brandon Graham was whistled offsides. Eagles coach Doug Pederson quickly ran to the ball, picked it up and manually moved it up five yards. On the next play, Wentz hit tight end Dallas Goedert for a 30-yard gain.

- Goedert continues to be heavily targeted. His work in 12 personnel has been outstanding, especially from the receiving standpoint.

- The would-be sack count was high on Saturday. Ridgeway, Graham and defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan all got to the quarterbacks without contact. Curry, Hester and fellow defensive end Josh Sweat got into the backfield routinely.

- Grugier-Hill and Nathan Gerry are serving as the team’s nickel linebackers with Nigel Bradham (hand) sitting out of team drills. That pairing is surprising given Zach Brown’s reputation.

- At this point, it’s hard to make an argument against keeping veteran safety Andrew Sendejo. With Rodney McLeod (knee) sidelined for team drills, Sendejo has served as the starting free safety and he has played well. He had a big run stop on Saturday.

- First-round pick Andre Dillard had a nice day. During his first workout with full pads, he got the better of Sweat multiple times. Dillard actually stood out more as a run blocker than pass blocker on Saturday. That performance went against his reputation as a prospect.

- The Eagles are off on Sunday. The next Eagles practice will take place on Monday at 9:15 a.m. at NovaCare Complex.